<<On a related note, how do you experienced hard-boiled
readers feel
about
"historical hard-boiled" novels? That is, novels set back in
periods we
now
associate with hard-boiled and noir, such as the 1930s, '40s,
'50s and
early '60s. How well can authors successfully make readers
suspend their
disbelief and prevent contemporary issues and attitudes from
entering
their
books?
I'd argue that James Ellroy succeeded in his LA Quartet, but
I'd also
say
that some of that success relied on the writing style he
evolved during
the
course of the four books. But how about other writers?
>>
Max Allan Collins has done a wonderful job at recreating the
past in his
historical novels. I don't think this success is due only to
getting
details right (such as slang, fashion, events, etc.) but in
capturing
the *attitudes* of characters who lived in a different time
(and place,
because places change). Collins does this superbly - at
least, he has
convinced this naive reader.
To write such novels must be a very hard task, one that I
doubt I would
ever attempt.
Best,
Mario Taboada
#
# To unsubscribe, say "unsubscribe rara-avis" to
majordomo@icomm.ca.
# The web pages for the list are at http://www.vex.net/~buff/rara-avis/.